


Smile Like You Mean It

by redradioflyer



Series: Frying Pangle [2]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Multi, Mutual Pining, Polyamory Negotiations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2018-12-16
Packaged: 2019-09-20 05:49:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17016918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redradioflyer/pseuds/redradioflyer
Summary: During one of Elizaveta and Roderich's 'off again' breaks, Elizaveta hooks up with Gilbert. Even when she's back with Roderich again, she can't help thinking about Gilbert. It would seem that neither can Roderich. Now if only they could get through to Gilbert...





	Smile Like You Mean It

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so this is really just my other frying pangle fic, but like, everything happens slightly different. I like them both tho so they both go up!

“I’m serious,” Gilbert says, smile as ‘real’ and broad as he could manage it. “I’m happy for you and for him. I know you two have issues and haven’t always been able to commit, but I’m glad you two are together again.” 

“I wasn’t sure you’d–” Elizaveta cuts off. “I am happy with him, you know.” 

“If you are, give me one of your smiles, Eliza. A real smile,” Gilbert says, a hardness creeping into his tone. They had a...  _romantic_ moment, two months prior during one of Elizaveta and Roderich’s breaks. They’d just happened to both be in  Salzburg on the same day… things had happened.

But they hadn’t went anywhere beyond that night, because Elizaveta was heading to Vienna in the morning and Gilbert had a meeting at an embassy. 

Elizaveta knows that this must be hard for Gilbert- it was hard for her too. She loves them both, in different ways. But what she has with Roderich is long standing, and they have too much history for her to walk away to try something new and untested with Gilbert… 

So she smiles, knowing that it doesn’t reach her eyes. Of course, she’s well aware Gilbert will notice that difference. 

— 

Roderich could see that something was wrong. As much as he could be (in other people’s words) a ‘stuck-up asshole,’ but he knows when there’s something wrong with his dear Elizaveta. He’s also pretty well sure when there’s something wrong with Gilbert as well- Roderich got way fewer dumb emails, and Gilbert’s memes on the ridiculous twitter machine are sadder and more self deprecating. 

“She hasn’t been happy,” Roderich announces once he’s invited himself into Gilbert’s little basement room. “She misses you.” 

“Oh, are you two having problems already,” Gilbert asks, voice huffy and barbed. “How sad. Why’d you come share that with me though? Not like it has anything to do with me.” 

Roderich had come in knowing that Gilbert was going to make this difficult. “Yes it does. I’m well aware she spent the night with you in Salzburg.” 

This does have Gilbert slowly standing up, and he turns to actually look at Roderich. The smirk that comes to his mouth is sharp and unhappy. 

“Oh she told you about our indiscretion while she wasn’t with you.”  Gilbert shakes his head. “But you have nothing to worry about. I won’t be getting between the two of you…” 

Roderich watches him, trying not to get too angry. Although there had been tension between them- sometimes romantic, sometimes sexual, oftentimes both- they had never been together. They’d shared several kisses, and Roderich remembers them all in clear detail. 

It was hard, then, to see Gilbert looking so lonely… 

“We both know,” Roderich says. “That Elizaveta is hardly monogamous. I’ve given her leave to pursue other lovers if she likes. If you trust her and care about her… you should visit her.” 

Gilbert is too startled to even spit one of his vicious retorts at him, and Roderich turns to leave before he has the chance. 

–

When Gilbert finally comes to their door for the first time since Roderich’s visit, Elizaveta is hit with a wave of joy so hard that she can do nothing but wrap Gilbert up in a tight fierce hug. 

“Oh my god, you came,” she breathes against his neck. 

“Of course,” Gilbert says after a long moment. “I was told you missed me! I came to accept… whatever this non-monogamous thing is that you’re offering…” 

There it was. The arrogant act and the pompous grin… but he was here and that was enough to make her ignore it for the moment. 

“I wasn’t sure you’d go for it,” she admits, dragging him into the hall to take his coat. “I mean, it was getting frustrating. With Roderich and I pining for you and you pining for both of us… I wasn’t completely sure though, if you pined for him like he did for you. I guess I was just hopeful…” She’s rambling happily so that she hardly registers as she puts his coat up that Roderich has appeared in the living room door. 

She does register that Gilbert has gone quite still, and she looks up to find the two men that she cares the most about in the world eyeing each other. 

“Pining, you said….?” Gilbert says, voice even. 

The way Roderich blushes and looks away more than answers that question. 

“Roderich didn’t tell you…?” Elizaveta asks slowly. The plan was for Roderich to go and confess- that they both cared for him, and they were both willing to open up for a new kind of relationship. It had taken them awhile to work up to it, because Roderich wasn’t sure about unconventional relationships. 

But they’d made a decision together, and it had even been Roderich’s idea. He had brought up the idea of polyamory. 

“I… may have lost my nerve,” Roderich admits. 

Before Elizaveta can say more, Gilbert is rushing forward to kiss Roderich hard on the mouth. It was fun for Elizaveta to watch because there was a lot of pent up passion between the two of them, and so she merely comes close, watching them with a smile. 

Then Gilbert turns to kiss her as fiercely, and she is left blushing and smiling beatifically at him. After a moment, he steps back again to look between the two of them with such a look of awe. 

“This isn’t a joke…?” he asks then. “I thought… I thought I’d always lose you… I’d never get a chance because I’d lose you both to each other.” 

So she had been right… Elizaveta had seen his passion for her first hand, and the only concern for her had been that he wasn’t as interested in Roderich… 

But he is and this could actually work. It could solve a lot of the heartbreak that had occurred between the three of them over the last few decades. There was a lot for them to talk about so they could make this work but… this was a good start. So she smiles even as Gilbert begins to cry. 

“How could you not be interested?” Gilbert adds, turning away from them as he hastily rubs at his eyes. He forces a smug smile in an attempt to hide his tears. 

But Roderich comes to wrap an arm about him and Elizaveta moves to kiss his cheeks as well. 

“Oh Gilbert honey,” she coos. “Don’t hide from us. Just give us a real smile. We gotcha.” 

And Gilbert does- it’s a wide tearful smile, but it’s honest and bright. It’s just about the most beautiful thing she’s ever seen. 


End file.
